What is the word guessing game?
This word guessing game hides one word and gives you its category as the only clue. You guess letters one at a time. A correct letter appears everywhere it occurs in the word; a wrong letter costs one of your six lives. Reveal the whole word before the lives run out and you win.
It is the pencil-and-paper game many people know as hangman, without the drawing. This version was built by Daily Guessing Game, with one daily word that is the same for everyone and unlimited practice.
How to play the word guessing game
- Press Play. The game loads on this page.
- Check the clue. The category is shown above the blanks, and the number of blanks tells you the word's length.
- Pick a letter. Tap the on-screen keys or type on your keyboard.
- Watch the result. Correct letters turn green and fill in the word. Wrong letters fade out and one life disappears.
- Solve it with lives to spare. You have 6 lives. Lose them all and the game shows you the word.
What words are in the game?
The word guessing game draws from 249 words chosen by hand. They are common English nouns between 5 and 10 letters long, in American spelling, with no proper names, plurals or obscure terms. Every word belongs to one of seven categories:
| Category | Examples of the kind of word |
|---|---|
| Animal | mammals, birds, reptiles, sea creatures |
| Food | ingredients, dishes, snacks |
| Around the house | furniture, tools, fixtures |
| Nature | landscapes, weather, natural features |
| Sports and games | sports, equipment, pastimes |
| Music | instruments and musical terms |
| Jobs | occupations |
Strategy: which letters to guess first
- Start with vowels, but not all of them. E, A, I and O are the most common vowels in English words. Two or three vowel guesses usually show the shape of the word. Guessing all five can cost several lives, as in the round pictured above.
- Then the common consonants. R, S, T, N and L appear in more English words than other consonants.
- Use the category. With "Music" and a pattern like _ I _ _ I N, you do not need to keep guessing letters at random.
- Use the length. Long words are easier than short ones in this kind of word guessing game, because they contain more different letters, so more of your guesses hit.
- Look for common endings. Patterns such as -ER, -LE and -ET turn up often in the word list's categories.
- Leave rare letters for last. J, Q, X and Z are seldom right, so guess them only when the pattern points to them.
Daily and Practice modes
- Daily: one word per day, the same for every player. Progress is saved in your browser, so reloading the page continues your game. A new daily word guessing game starts at midnight in your own time zone.
- Practice: unlimited rounds with a new random word each time.
After a round you can copy a result that shows how many lives you had left, without revealing the word.
Is this the same as Wordle?
No. In this word guessing game you guess single letters and know the category, and the word can be 5 to 10 letters long. In Wordle you guess whole five-letter words and get colour feedback on each letter. If you like one you will probably like the other, but the skills are different: this game rewards knowing which letters are common, not knowing lots of five-letter words.
Word Guessing Game FAQ
How do you play the word guessing game?
A hidden word is shown as blanks with its category. Guess one letter at a time. Correct letters are filled in; each wrong letter costs one of 6 lives. Reveal the whole word to win.
Which letters should I guess first?
Start with common vowels such as E and A, then common consonants such as R, S, T, N and L. Leave J, Q, X and Z until the pattern suggests them.
How many words are in the game?
249 common English nouns, 5 to 10 letters long, in seven categories: Animal, Food, Around the house, Nature, Sports and games, Music, and Jobs.
Is the daily word the same for everyone?
Yes. Everyone playing on the same date gets the same daily word. It changes at midnight in your own time zone.
Is this word guessing game like Wordle?
Not quite. Here you guess single letters with a category clue, as in hangman. In Wordle you guess whole five-letter words.
Is it free, and does it work on phones?
Yes. It is free with no account, and the on-screen keyboard works on phones and tablets.
Who made this word guessing game?
It was built by Daily Guessing Game for this site.